A source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Johnson (17-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is replacing Mark Hunt (8-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who was forced to bow out with a knee injury, in a heavyweight bout against Stefan Struve (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at UFC 146, which takes place May 26 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Hunt declined comment when contacted today, but UFC execs have since made the change official.

The “Super Samoan” was recently the subject of hardcore fanfare when Alistair Overeem’s failed drug test opened the possibility of an opening opposite champ Junior Dos Santos. Although he picked up plenty of Twitter followers with a #RallyforMarkHunt Twitter campaign, Hunt fell short to Frank Mir, who now faces off with Dos Santos.

Johnson is fresh off his second network-televised fight, a first-round TKO over Pat Barry at UFC on FOX 3 that further solidified his status as one to watch in the UFC heavyweight division. It took him one round to dispatch Joey Beltran in his octagon debut at UFC on FOX 2.

At just 24 years old, Struve has already fought 10 times in the octagon and is closing in on 30 total career contests. The 6-foot-11 fighter is 4-1 in his past five fights, with the lone loss coming to Travis Browne. His wins during that run have come over Dave Herman, Pat Barry, McCorkle and Christian Morecraft.

For more on UFC 146, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Lavar Johnson)